Police Minister Mark Mitchell admitted that he got it wrong yesterday, when he stated that the government's goal of 500 new cops would be achieved over three years rather than two.
Video / Mark Mitchell
An independent review of police suggests further cost savings could be made by extending the deadline to recruit 500 new cops, or to recruit fewer officers
The Associate Police Minister said the Government is “committed” to recruiting 500 new officers
Reviews were conducted on numerous public sector agencies in relation to Budget 2024 cost savings targets
An independent rapid review of police has suggested the most obvious way to make further savings would be to cut plans to hire 500 new officers.
But Associate Police Minister Casey Costello has promised the policy was going ahead regardless.
The release of Budget 2024 promised500 new officers on the beat by the end of 2025; the commitment was a portion of the coalition agreement between National and New Zealand First.
The review, presented to ministers and the Treasury, noted if ministers wanted further savings, cutting back on the amount of new cops on the beat would be “the most obvious way” to do this.
Ministers were given potential options around future savings - one of which was to re-phase or extend the timeframe for training 500 additional frontline officers.
“This would deliver small savings related to training costs, likely $2 – $3 million," the review stated.
The second option presented was to reduce the 500 new police target.
“A reduction to 333 would deliver savings of approximately $147 million operating [expenditure] and $92 million capital [expenditure].”
The measures “could result in an adverse impact on police outcomes”, the report warned.
To identify further savings, police needed to “re-think their role and the model of policing”.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Police Minister Mark Mitchell commissioned the report in the lead-up to Budget 2024.
Red flags were raised around the reportedly “growing” contractor spend at police, said to be the “highest in the justice sector”. Police spent $84m on contractors in the 2022/23 financial year.
Independent assessor and former High Commissioner to Australia Martyn Dunne wrote the report in April.
The report said police did not meet their Budget 2024 agency savings target of $118m per annum. Instead, police submitted savings of $44m a year.
It stated police identified “cost pressures” for the upcoming financial year. The figures showing the extent of the pressures were redacted from the document.
A further portion of the report stated police identified $168m of projected cost pressures in the 2024/25 year.
“Police were only able to identify mitigation measures to address a small portion of these and consider there are still $156m of cost pressures which police consider cannot be managed.”
“Police are seeking funding for these cost pressures, as well as funding for an additional 500 frontline police staff [and associated infrastructure],” the report stated.
The report formally did not recommend further savings be made as part of Budget 2024.
“I am concerned that without serious consideration of the roles, functions and implementation model required, police will be in a position where the savings options for Budget 2025 will also be limited. These options will likely involve hard trade-offs, and there will still be costs for the Crown if it is decided another agency is better placed to undertake some of the roles and functions,” ministers were told.
Coster said Police “broadly agrees” with the main findings of the report.
“Specifically, Police welcomes the potential for further discussion about the future core role and responsibilities of police, alongside those of other agencies,” he wrote.
The Commissioner of Police noted police was working on plans to reduce headcount at the time of the April response.
“Investment in police has historically been focused on growing frontline numbers, but as police’s wider demand pressures across new social and technological domains continue to grow, this effectively results in a trade-off for investment in specialist capabilities, corporate and strategic support, infrastructure, and technology to support more effective and efficient business processes,” the commissioner added.
Associate Police Minister Casey Costello promised the policy was going ahead.
“Recruiting 500 more frontline police officers is part of the NZ First - National coalition agreement and the Government is committed to it,” she said.
“We want crime reduced and New Zealanders to be safer and supporting police is a key part of that.”
Casey Costello said the Government was "committed" to delivering 500 new cops. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Costello added there had been “record applications” to join police since the policy was announced. Police had put a new recruitment campaign in and changed application criteria.
Police plan to increase the capacity of wings to 100 recruits from next year.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell has previously called the target for 500 new officers “ambitious”, but said it would be possible if “everything lines up”.
Azaria Howell is a Wellington-based multimedia reporter with an eye across the region. She joined NZME in 2022 and has a keen interest in city council decisions, public service agency reform and transport.
